I *Heart* Babywearing

Babywearing! Oh, babywearing... let me count the ways that you have saved my sanity....

I started "wearing my babies" after Ezra was born. My mom sent me a ring sling, and while it took a while for me to get the hang of it, little did she know it was the beginning of a wonderful addiction for me! My only carriers at that point were the ring sling and a frame backpack. Here's me and Ez on vacation in Tennessee with him in the backpack:

By the time Joel was born, I was head-over-heels in love with babywearing, and that boy stayed a heartbeat away from me for his entire infancy, all the way into toddlerhood. At this point, though, I only had the ring sling, as the backpack had gotten left outside and rusty/moldy (oops!). Here is my favorite picture of Joel in the sling when he was about 8 months old:

The ring sling served us well up until he was about 10 or 11 months. Then I started feeling the strain on my neck and back a little. I love the ring sling for the younger months, but it does get more difficult as babies grow.

After much research, I convinced Michael to let me try out an Ergo. The company I was wanting to purchase it from offered a 90-day money back guarantee, so he relented... and the investment we made in our Ergo has paid for itself many, many, many times over!! We take it everywhere, and use it ALL. THE. TIME. Michael just took the boys for a hike up Stone Mountain last week, and carried Nathan (yes, Nathan, our 36 pound 3.5 year old!) on his back in it. Here are some pictures of our Ergo in use over the years:

Joel and I in Pesacola, Florida

Nathan on a nature walk

Nathan asleep on Michael's back in Alabama

Judah, 6 months old, in St. Augustine, Florida

Michael with Judah, Joel and Nathan in upstate New York - Judah has the hood on to keep out the sun!

Even Isaac got in on the fun - this is when he was almost 6! The Ergo has a 40 pound weight limit!

When Nathan was born, much to my surprise and disappointment, he did NOT like being "worn". What?! What baby doesn't like snuggling up close to his mommy all day long? Well, he didn't, for a while. After much trial and error, I discovered that Nathan actually preferred facing outward - he wanted to see the world around him! Around 4 months he settled into babywearing better, because I was able to carry him in the kangaroo position in our pouch. I discovered pouch slings during his infancy, and I am now the happy owner of two - I have a fleece one for winter time (since most of my babies are winter babies) and a regular one for warmer months. Pouch slings are great for the newborn/infant stage - much like a ring sling, but with no adjusting needed. Super compact and easy to get on and off!

Judah came along and followed the pattern of his brothers. He spent the first 6-8 weeks of babyhood in the pouch or sling, and then graduated into the Ergo. He still rides (usually on Daddy's back) when we go for walks or out places that he needs to be contained. I rarely ever use a stroller, although I do have one for "just in case".

Let me just say I can't even describe how rewarding and wonderful I think babywearing is! Being able to keep baby close to me while still having my hands free makes baby happy, mama happy, and the other kids happy, too! I can still meet everyone's needs, and not get frazzled by a crying baby (because when my babies are close to me - with the exception of Nathan in his infancy - they just don't cry very much. They're happy being right where they belong - near mama's heart!) And as a homeschooling mama of soon-to-be-six kiddos, I need all the sanity I can get ;-)

If you've got little ones and never tried babywearing, I highly encourage you to give it a try! It is such a sweet bonding experience, and really helps keep things peaceful!

(Disclaimer: Michael wants me to assert that he really dislikes the term "babywearing". He says "What are they, jewelry? Is it a sport of some kind?" I only use the term because its easier than saying "keeping your baby attached to you through the use of a baby carrier" all the time!)